He won’t turn 35 until next March, but after he reportedly signed a one-year, $4-million deal with the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan, the idea of him being an effective major league player again became much less of a reality. The Japanese professional ranks have been compared to a level somewhere close to Triple-A in the United States. For every Colby Lewis and Ryan Vogelsong -- who each went to Japan, found success and then reestablished themselves as major league players -- there are a dozen others who are forgotten.

This shouldn't be: Four years ago, Youkilis was one of the best baseball players in the world.

From 2006 to 2011, nobody played the game like he did. He was an artist at the plate, carefully choosing his pitches (he averaged 4.27 pitches per plate appearance; only three Major Leaguers averaged that in 2013) with a knack for getting plunked (76 times). During those six years, he smashed 121 of his 150 career home runs, had a .292 average, .392 on-base percentage and .893 OPS. In two separate seasons he won a Gold Glove at first base and led the American League in fielding percentage at third base. He moved base-runners, swiped the occasional bag, and scored more runs (520) than he drove in (506), a rarity for players who hit in the middle of the order.

In back-to-back seasons in 2008 and 2009, Youkilis combined to hit .309 with 56 homers and a .960 OPS. He finished in the top six in American League MVP voting each season, though Theo Epstein, Boston Red Sox executive vice president at the time, was once quoted as saying, “Statistically, if you consider 2008 and 2009, you could make the case there has been no better player in the league.”

From 2008 to 2010, he ranked third in baseball (behind Albert Pujols and Manny Ramirez) with a .964 OPS.

After a thumb injury held him to 102 games in 2010, he never registered more than 517 at-bats again.

His dip in performance was fast and mighty. Injuries can do that. But the Fenway Faithful didn't seem to mind.

When he was traded in the middle of a game against the Braves in the 2012 season, he was removed in the seventh inning to a roaring crowd. When he came back as a member of the White Sox, he tipped his cap to a standing ovation during his first at-bat.

A herniated disc in his back prevented him from making an impact in the Bronx.

Each season from 2010 to 2013, Youkilis’ OPS dipped at least 88 points, going from .975 to .833 to .745 to .648. He went from being one of the best hitters in the game to one who had no more statistical value than a replacement player.

He was only 34 years old.

And now he’s off to Japan, less than three years removed from making his third All-Star appearance, to experience a new lifestyle and try to prove that he’s healthy. If all goes well, maybe he’ll return for one last season in the United States, he told WEEI.com. Otherwise, this will be the last that’s heard of Kevin Youkilis, the baseball player.

Soon he’ll be Kevin Youkilis, the father of two children and husband to Julie Brady, sister of Tom Brady.